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Dance and Community

Dynamic and physical, the practice of dance has deep roots as a traditional cultural tool for communication, community building, and celebration. Today, dancers and dance companies are harnessing this social nature of dance to address various issues and to promote civic engagement through participatory dance, workshops, dialogues, site-specific works, and other innovative approaches.

This Special Collection features organizations and projects that are using dance process and performance as a platform for social change and community building. The Trend Paper by Paloma McGregor and case studies provide critical insight into effective practice for socially conscious dance.

Light / The Holocaust & Humanity Project is a multi-arts initiative, with an original ballet by Stephen Mills of Ballet Austin at its core. The somber and thought-provoking ballet serves as a vehicle for evoking the events of the Holocaust and celebrates the legacy of its survivors. The project in its entirety is a multi-dimensional arts and education collaboration that aims to generate civic dialogue on prejudice and hatred, and to provoke public commitment to action against bigotry in any form.

Based on themes of migration and displacement, Expulsion explored the temporary and often fragile nature of the concept of “home.” Conceived by Heidi Duckler and Merridawn Duckler, the cross-disciplinary performance incorporated a set designed by architect Alex Ward and original music composed and performed by Daniel Rosenboom and Alex Noice. The production, a contemporary retelling of the ancient story of Cain and Abel, drew from the stories of local community members.

Dandelion Dancetheater is situated at the crossroads of dance, theater, community activism, healing, and new performance forms. Its work is built from a fascination with artistic experimentation, vulnerability, and risk-taking and a simultaneous commitment to the creation of high-quality, radically accessible art. Dandelion Dancetheater views the exploration of the endless possibilities of the human body as a potent means for personal and collective growth and share this exploration with diverse populations through performance, teaching, speaking, video, and writing.

The Mahomet Aquifer Project, East Central Illinois, informed and engaged communities in East Central Illinois dependent on the Mahomet Aquifer through dance performances, panel discussions, new media, and workshops. Through conversations between performers and scientists Monson developed the choreography with an interdisciplinary approach, creating a multi-layered performance experience that draws the audience into their own understanding of their relationship to water. The movements evoke the forces and flows on the aquifer, ranging from geography and hydrology, to economics and history.

Liz Lerman Dance Exchange’s 2006 Ferocious Beauty: Genome project, a touring performance created in collaboration with geneticists and educators, explored how knowledge of the genome “will change the way we think about aging, perfection, ancestry and evolution.” The performance integrates elements of dance and theater with state-of-the-art recorded and live-feed video and multichannel soundscape, including dialogue with scientists.

Battery Dance Company connects the world through dance. We pursue artistic excellence and social relevance by creating vibrant new works, performing on the world’s stages, presenting dance in public spaces, serving the field of dance and teaching people of all ages with special attention to disadvantaged and conflict areas. Battery Dance Company is committed to enhancing the cultural vibrancy of its home community in New York City, extending programming throughout the U.S., and building bridges worldwide through international cultural exchange.

TAPIT/new works creates, produces and performs original works, collaborating with artists working in the disciplines of theater, tap dance, visual arts and music; brings the arts to audiences of all ages and backgrounds; encourages participation in the arts through outreach; and enriches the lives of individuals and communities. Our work is all about artistic innovation and community connection.

Dance for World Community™ actively promotes an expanded role for dance in galvanizing communities in order to meet the civic, social and environmental challenges of today. An initiative of the José Mateo Ballet Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the project seeks to create a closer relationship between dance and social change. It cultivates collaborative relationships between the dance community and local governmental, cultural, and social agencies, so as to inspire action to advance the civic health of local communities.